Israel Strikes Iranian Radar Before Ceasefire Takes Effect as Trump Urges Restraint
Jerusalem/Washington – Israel confirmed it carried out an airstrike on a radar installation near Tehran early Tuesday, just hours before a ceasefire with Iran was set to begin. The move has sparked criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump, who brokered the truce and urged both sides to show restraint.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office acknowledged that the strike took place at around 3 a.m. (midnight GMT), four hours before the ceasefire was scheduled to go into effect at 7 a.m. Israeli time (0400 GMT). The strike, according to Israeli officials, was in response to Iranian missile launches.
President Trump voiced frustration over the timing of Israel’s attack. Speaking to reporters in Washington, he said he “didn’t like the fact that Israel unloaded right after agreeing to the ceasefire.”
While Israel maintained that its action occurred before the official start of the truce, Iran has accused Israel of continuing attacks well after the ceasefire began. Tehran denied violating the ceasefire and said it was Israel that broke the agreement by maintaining aggression for over an hour after it went into effect.
Adding to the complexity, a missile launched from Iran hit Beersheba in southern Israel on Tuesday morning, killing four people. Israeli officials claim the strike occurred just before the truce began. They also accused Iran of violating the ceasefire by launching a missile six minutes after the start of the truce and two more several hours later. According to Israeli authorities, these missiles caused no injuries or damage.
Following the reported Iranian violations, the Israeli Air Force retaliated by destroying a radar facility near Tehran. However, Israeli officials said they held back from further military action after a phone call between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Trump. It was not immediately clear whether that call occurred before or after the radar strike.
The Prime Minister’s Office did not respond to requests for clarification on the timeline of the events.
